Student recalls Swedish experience, promotes study abroad

I sat, fidgeting, under the watchful eye of security cameras and guards. Looking down, I toyed with the official little badge which allowed me to pass through into the parliamentary complex.The Swedish Parliament, or Riksdag, is small by the standards of our own legislative buildings-I suspected the Texas Capitol alone is larger by far. Nonetheless, I could sense the importance of the chic structure, with its classical exterior and simple, modernist interior. After a few minutes of nervous waiting, an individual appeared out of the adjacent hallway to open the clear-glass door that confined me to the security section of the entryway. Seemingly in her twenties, she was younger than I had anticipated a Member of Parliament (MP) to be. My initial nervousness subsided as I recalled a slew of basic facts I had memorized: she’s the newest MP, a member of the Christian Democrats party, and a partner of the majority coalition in government. Brushing my hand on the side of my slacks as though to ward off any unseen grime, I stood to greet her.”MP Henriksson. It’s a pleasure to meet y-“”Matthew is it, yes? Call me Emma.”I mentality chastised myself. After months of staying in Stockholm, I still hadn’t gotten over the Swedish habit of referring to anyone, short of their king, by first names. Nevertheless, she graciously directed me to the nearest elevator as I prepared for the interview we had scheduled. It was the culmination of a semester’s worth of public work and political study abroad.My stint in Sweden during the Spring of 2008 had been a year in the making. I planned my school selection and curriculum through the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), and only at the end of the previous semester had I accepted an additional role-to serve as a diplomat for the TAMIU Student Government to its counterpart at my host school, Södertörn University College. At first, much of the work seemed to be mundane: send regular video blogs home, help translate documents in English, and proofread school newspaper articles. However, over time, I realized that, in working with the Students’ Union, we had created a conduit for new ideas to flow back and forth between both student organizations on either side of the Atlantic. Winning re-election back into the SG back home, I was able to work, as I still do, with our current administration in creating an International Committee and SG Diplomatic Scholarship to help put many of these new ideas into practice and to stimulate further dialogue abroad.Study abroad can be, as you have certainly heard before, a very unique opportunity. However, it’s often what you make of it. In my stint in the Student Government, I often have heard a complaint by students that TAMIU is isolated, culturally as well as geographically. I tend to disagree. Not only do we exist astride a vibrant international border, but we are home to many international students and faculty from across the globe, which makes TAMIU a very culturally-rich campus. Thus, our university is uniquely situated to prepare its students to compete in a global economy, as well as to study abroad during their undergraduate or graduate education. One need only consult the Student Government for its scholarship opportunities and the Office of International Education (OIE) for the plethora of programs available.Let’s not squander the considerable resources our campus environment and administration have available to give one a more worldly experience. Even as I froze myself in knee-deep snow waiting for the daily trains in the dim of the Swedish winter, I looked back at TAMIU and how it prepared me for the challenges that befell me and how it taught to me exploit opportunities that presented themselves. I was, and am, endlessly grateful.